I used to think I could just wing it with my weekly grocery shopping. I would go into the store, wander aimlessly, grab a random combination of food, and hope that I could magically transform my haphazard cart into coherent meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner all week. And if I was hungry, I would also have a bunch of junk food.

I’ve learned since that I do much better if I plan my week of meals, make a list of pieces, take stock of what I already have, and then finalize the shopping list. I save time and money, and most importantly, I have a list of meals planned out so I don’t have to think of how I’m going to keep myself fed during a busy week.

I’ve also learned that this formula is fully applicable to my seasonal wardrobe refreshes. By approaching the changing seasons systemically and methodically, you’ll save time, money, and your closet will be stocked with effortless outfit combinations.

The Plan

This is the creative part of your refresh. Think about your ideal wardrobe. Take inspiration from Instagram, magazines, and Pinterest. Compile images somewhere. I used Pinterest to compile looks and inspiration, but you can also create a physical collection of images.

With legal research, you know you’ve done a sufficient search when you start finding the same cases repeatedly. With your search for inspiration, you’ll know you’ve searched enough when you start seeing the same types of outfits/pieces emerge in your compilation.

The List

In my case, I repeatedly saved: collared shirts, sleek trousers, straight-leg jeans, white jeans, fitted sweaters, a striped sweater, button-up dresses, waist belts, and neutral blazers. I used that as my shopping list.

The collared shirts pair with trousers, jeans, and white jeans, and so do the sweaters. The blazers go well with jeans or trousers, as well. The waist belts can pull together any outfits. With that, I have a foolproof wardrobe.

The Inventory

For this step, you’ll take stock of what you have. You’ll keep the pieces that fit your list, and you’ll get rid of the pieces that don’t serve you. I pulled my work wardrobe out of storage, did some steaming, and put all of my pieces on a rack. The clothes you already have deserve to be at their best when you evaluate whether they get to remain in your closet.

I realized I already have plenty of dresses, and I also had white jeans that fit well. I removed those items from my list.

I also decided to part with some pieces that don’t fit my new color scheme, some that don’t fit in my wardrobe, and some pieces that don’t fit me anymore.

The Shopping List

This brought me to my final list:

• collared shirts in neutral colors
• sleek trousers in neutral colors
• straight-leg blue jeans
• fitted sweaters
• striped sweater
• waist belts
• neutral blazers

Armed with my planned list for my ideal wardrobe recipes, I could avoid overspending and creating a disjointed closet.